Healing in Hoenn - Battle with the Shiny Hunters
by KokoroEcho
Summary: Logan Stephenson and his friends are taking a short vacation from their journeys in Hoenn on Cherrydrop Island when they run into some trouble. The Shiny Hunters have come to steal the rare shiny Latios and Latias from their homes. Can Logan and his friends save the Eon Pokemon, or will the Shiny Hunters get their big payout? A short spin-off from my main story, Healing in Hoenn.
1. Cimarron and Rose

**Scene 1 - Cimarron and Rose**

* * *

A loud, big, and black SUV raced through the desert of the Orre region, creating a trail of dirt and dust that followed in its path. The SUV, seemingly out of the blue, came to a sudden stop, and the Pokémon in the back screeched as they rattled in their cages. The person who sat in the passenger side snorted as she turned towards the Pokémon. She winked, and then the ground below the SUV started to stir, and they were taken below by a giant platform.

The male in the driver's seat pushed a button, and a hood formed above the driver and passenger's seats, leaving the Pokémon to deal with the falling sand from the desert. Once they reached the floor, the SUV was once again put into drive, and it slowly moved off of the platform into a small parking space. The SUV came to another stop, and the two figures exited the vehicle. The female pushed a button on a nearby computer, activating a machine within the parking space. A large claw emerged from the ceiling and grabbed the Pokémon's cages one by one, lifting them into the air and out of view.

"Good haul today," the male muttered. He was a teenager, but was built like someone much older. He wore black goggles that he used to slick back his dirty blonde hair, a form fitting grey shirt, and thick cargo pants. "Had a little bit of trouble finding that Feebas, but I can't complain."

"I had to do the hunting for the Feebas, Cimarron. That's why you can't complain," the female said. She was roughly the age of 16. Her hair was dyed bright red, she wore rose-colored lipstick, and her white dress clung to her body.

"Always, the logistics with you," Cimarron said with a grunt. He turned to the giant computer and examined it. "Whoa. Rose, check this out!"

Rose begrudgingly looked at the computer screen while she filed one of her nails. "We're done for the day."

"We might be done for good," Cimarron exclaimed.

On the screen appeared two Pokémon with similar body shapes. They had long necks, small arms that hung from the bottom of their bodies, and two wings that pointed straight out, similar to that of a jet.

"They're offering us three million," Cimarron muttered.

"Three million?" Rose screamed. She took a closer look at the Pokémon. "With a payout like that, we'll never have to work again. We could go clean. I could buy a house."

"But you're a workaholic."

"What are they? Where are they?"

Cimarron clicked on the keys a little bit, and the screen changed, showing a map of the Hoenn region with a red dot blinking in the upper right corner.

"It's called Cherrydrop Island near Mossdeep City in the Hoenn Region," Cimarron explained.

Rose began to laugh. "This is too unreal to be true. I'm dreaming." She walked over to giant doors opposite the side of the SUV and pushed a button. The doors creaked as they opened by themselves. With a flick of a switch, the dark room in front of her lit up, revealing stacks of cages with Pokémon in them. "You've all become irrelevant!"

"What are you doing?" Cimarron asked with a sigh. "They're stupid. They don't understand you."

Rose kicked one of the cages, startling a blue Pokémon on the inside. She knelt down. "Hello, little Miltank. You're irrelevant." She jolted up and twisted her body, dashing for another cage and making a purple Pokémon with small legs run to the far end of the cage. "Hello, Pumpkaboo. It doesn't matter what size you are; you're irrelevant!"

"Why'd I have to get a psychopath for a partner?" Cimarron muttered as he stood up and walked into the giant room.

Rose turned to him. "Whether or not we sell these shiny Pokémon is irrelevant. As soon as we finish that guaranteed job, we're rich. We don't have to worry about these little cretins anymore."

"So, we'll let them go?" Cimarron said as he glanced at a pink Aipom.

Rose threw one of her hands up into the air, and with her other hand, she pulled out a small tube of lipstick. "I don't care. Let them rot in cages. They're disasters of Pokémon. Freaks of nature. But most importantly…"

"Irrelevant?"

Rose nodded as she finished applying her lipstick. "Irrelevant."


	2. Kishi

**Scene 2 - Kishi**

* * *

It had been one day since Logan and Yurie's double battle at the Mossdeep City gym. The group, now accompanied by Yurie's older sister, Yui, had decided to take a small two day vacation at a nearby island that they had heard of. Two full days of no battling, only sightseeing and eating good food.

Logan had seen a lot of islands because of his journeys in the Alola region, but Cherrydrop Island was unlike anything he had ever seen. In the middle of the island was a giant volcano that loomed overhead. Smoke billowed from the top, warning that it could explode at any minute, but nobody seemed worried. When they checked the map, it appeared that there was one highway that circled the entirety of the island, and that was it. There was a small town built on one side, and that was where our trainers were headed.

"Hello, my name is Kishi, and I'll be your personal tour guide for Cherrydrop Island!" a boy around the same age as Logan and Himawari chimed as the group entered the tourist center from the ferry that they had taken. His pitch black hair was pulled back by a seafoam green headband, and he wore a button up t-shirt and cargo shorts.

"Sweet!" Himawari said. "Do you take our bags?" He pulled his white backpack off and then ran his hands through his bleach blonde hair. "I'm really hot, and I don't want to carry anything."

Kishi grinned. "I'm sorry, but no."

"Maybe if you didn't dress all in black, you wouldn't be so hot," Logan said.

"I gotta be stylin'!"

Logan stuck out his hand. "I'm Logan. It's nice to meet you."

Yurie and Yui stepped in front of Logan and looked at Kishi directly in the eyes.

"I'm Yurie!" the smaller girl exclaimed. She fiddled with the curls of her dark brown hair and blushed.

"And I'm Yui! I'm older and much smarter!" the taller girl said with a grin.

"Well, first things first," Kishi started. "Let's get you guys to a Pokémon Center so we can grab lunch."

"I love how this guy thinks!" Yurie exclaimed.

The Pokémon Center was different from others that the group had seen before. Instead of being painted red to signal to trainers what it was, it was painted black. A lot of the other buildings on the island also had black decorations and such on the outside. Something the group was quick to notice.

"Why's everything so gothic?" Himawari asked.

"Well, you see that," Kishi said while pointing towards the volcano. "It's always active, and ash is constantly falling from the sky."

"So, it's actually the ash!" Yurie screamed while raising her hand.

Kishi laughed. "Close but no, but our little island has decided to just paint everything black. It looks cool, and we don't have to clean all the time."

"Smart," Logan muttered.

Once the group was inside the Pokémon Center, they all changed into clothing appropriate for touring the island. Logan kept his usual black baseball hat on, but changed into a sleeveless blue shirt that zipped up and white cargo shorts. Yurie went with a spaghetti strapped white top and a light blue short skirt while Yui went with a white crop top and a yellow skirt. Himawari only removed his black jacket, but kept his white t-shirt and long black pants on.

"I can't compromise style for comfort," Himawari said as he put on a necklace with a sunflower decal around his neck. "That's for the weak."

"You're extra annoying today," Logan said quietly.

As the group entered the lobby of the Pokémon Center, Kishi awaited with a tray of small cups. They all sat down at a table in the dining area, and Kishi handed out the little cups, now revealed to have orange ice cream on the inside.

"Because of how fertile the soil is here, we're able to grow the cutest little oranges with such a strong flavor. From those, we make the most delicious ice cream in Hoenn," Kishi explained.

Logan took a bite of the ice cream and let it melt in his mouth. "It's so good…"

"It's okay," Himawari mumbled. The group glared at him. "Look, I don't trust someone this good looking."

"Where we off to first?" Yurie asked. She looked at the map but couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"Every thirty minutes, there's a water show in a place called Canal Village. It's an incredible place where a lot of people go for shopping. I think we should head there first."

The group quickly finished their ice cream and then boarded a bus. The trip to Canal Village was thirty minutes long. It was on a winding road that allowed everyone to look out and see the ocean and the beaches that Cherrydrop Island had to offer. There were also small houses and multiple hotels scattered throughout the island. A lot of the shops that were to be found during the trip specialized in the orange ice cream.

The bus eventually pulled up to their stop, and they got off. Canal Village wasn't actually a village but instead a giant shopping mall the size of one. There was one main road lined with shops, but all of the other paths were seemingly made of water, and people used gondolas to travel.

"Casteliacones!" Logan yelled as he saw a shop with a cute ice cream Pokémon design on the front. He ran to the counter and quickly ordered, receiving some white ice cream.

"You're gonna get fat," Yurie said with a sigh.

Logan glared. "We're on vacation. Leave me alone." He licked the ice cream, and a look of disappointment came over his face. "This is just plain vanilla… It's not a real casteliacone…"

"The show is going to start soon," Kishi exclaimed. "We should hurry."

The group made their way to the middle of Canal Village where many others had gathered. There was a small pond in the middle where Pokémon peacefully swam about. Soon enough, there was an announcement that the water show would begin, and nozzles that were installed in the pond started to spray, shooting water into the air. The crowd awed at the beauty of the fountain, and with special lights, they were able to make it look as though the water had different colors. They continuously shot off and sprayed in different directions to classical music.

The couple in front of the group locked hands, then got closer, and the girl put her head on her date's shoulder. Logan looked over at Yurie, who was too fascinated by the water show to notice.

Without warning, the nozzles shot off all at once, creating a loud boom throughout the village. Torchic, who had been watching from Yurie's feet, was startled, and started to retreat.

"Huh? Torchic?" Yurie asked as she looked for her Pokémon from within the crowd. She turned to the group. "I'll be right back!" They all nodded, and Yurie continued her search.

"Torchic!" she cried out as she chased after her Pokémon. There was no response, and she had to force her way through the crowd. They continued to awe while there were more explosions of water and colorful lights. Yurie eventually broke from the crowd, and she was back onto the main path. From the corner of her eye, she saw Torchic turn a corner, and she followed.

"Wait up, Torchic!" Yurie cried out. She turned the corner and chased after her Pokémon on what was now a very thin path. Her Pokémon weaved through the small maze of Canal Village, and Yurie nearly lost her balance, almost tumbling into the water. Within a few moments, she found Torchic curled up in an alleyway. She ran to her Pokémon and knelt down. "You okay?"

"Torchic," the Pokémon whimpered.

"Did the loud noises scare you?" Yurie asked as she lifted Torchic into her arms. "I'll protect you. Don't worry!" She turned and exited the alleyway and then looked around. Because of the heat of the moment, she could barely remember how to return, and the noises of the water show had already come to a stop.

Something caught her eye though. Two figures wearing long black jackets were standing on the opposite side of the canal, and they looked at her through dark sunglasses. Yurie tried to avoid their gaze, but they watched her as she walked on the thin path and then turned the corner. Yurie stopped and slowly peeked her head out. The two figures were gone.

"What was that about?" she wondered out loud.

"Torchic!" her Pokémon cried.

Yurie nodded. "I have a bad feeling too. Let's go check it out."

She ran to the other side of the canal and started to walk on the thin path. She looked down the alley where the two figures were closest too, and sure enough, they were speed walking away. Yurie continued to follow them, continuously ducking behind things to keep her cover. She eventually got close enough to where she could hear what the two were talking about.

"You sure that she's near here?" the smaller of the two asked, a female.

"That's what our info said," the male replied, a giant. "These glasses are also picking up her energy. On the right."

The two turned a corner to find another small canal. In one of the boats that floated calmly in the water sat a girl. She had pitch black hair that was pinned with an orange flower pin. She sat with her arms pressed against her chest while listening to music through what looked like an older headset. The two figures stopped and looked at the girl. A sinister smile came over the female's face.

"Gotcha," she said.

She looked up at the two and removed her headphones, but before she could speak, the two tossed Poké Balls into the air. A black dragon Pokémon with fire at the tip of its tail and a white Pokémon with what looked to be a blue lightning bolt on its belly appeared. They roared at the girl in the boat. The girl stood up as the Pokémon moved towards her. Without warning, the dragon Pokémon unleashed flames from his mouth. The girl jumped out of the boat onto the other side of the canal as the boat exploded into smoke and wood. When the smoke faded, they took notice that the girl was now running down one of the alleyways.

"Go," the male said.

Their Pokémon roared and then started to follow the girl.

Yurie watched in horror. She grabbed her Poké Ball and then ran down a different alleyway. She quickly turned and crossed a bridge which brought her to the other side of the canal. In the distance, she could hear the sounds of the Pokémon's attacks. Eventually, she came to an alleyway where she could see the girl and the two Pokémon. She ran to the girl, who was surprised by Yurie's sudden appearance. She turned back, but then saw the other Pokémon.

"Don't worry!" Yurie said. "Torchic, use Flame Burst! Minun, Shock Wave!" she said while tossing a Poké Ball into the air.

Her Pokémon both unleashed their attacks within the thin alleyway. They collided with the two Pokémon, making a small explosion. Yurie's Pokémon then retreated back to their trainer, and Yurie grabbed the girl's hand. They turned and started to run away together. Yurie and the girl weaved through Canal Village, and after five minutes of running, they came to a stop at one of the smaller roads. Yurie bent over and breathed heavily from exhaustion, but the girl appeared fine.

"Why are they attacking you?" Yurie asked through deep breaths. The girl looked at her with a blank expression.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!"

"Zangoose, Crush Claw!"

The two Pokémon from before appeared from the sky. The dragon Pokémon unleashed flames from its mouth while the white Pokémon with the blue markings jumped off of the dragon's shoulders and drove its claws into the ground.

"Flamethrower! Thunderbolt!" Yurie ordered.

Yurie's Pokémon jumped forward once more and used their attacks. The two Pokémon that they were fighting were stunned by the attacks, and they both fell to one knee. They were soon joined by the two figures from before. The figures removed their sunglasses and glared at Yurie.

"What are you doing, little girl?" the male asked.

"Isn't it your naptime?" the female added with a giggle.

Yurie gritted her teeth. "Why are you attacking her?"

The male laughed. He looked around, noticing that people were now starting to fill the streets, and the canals had tourists getting on boat rides. "She's my little sister. I'm trying to bring her home."

"You have a weird way of doing it," Yurie snapped.

"Cimarron, you're terrible at lying," the female exclaimed. "That little girl is worth a lot to, so she's going to come with us."

Yurie stood in front of the girl. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

The male noticed that people were now starting to stare at them. Their colorful Pokémon were bringing attention their way. "Rose, maybe we should retreat for now. If more people get involved, we could be in trouble."

Rose nodded. The two returned their Pokémon and turned away. "Be careful, little girl. You don't know what you're getting into." With that, the two walked away and disappeared into the crowd.

Yurie sighed with relief. She looked at the little girl. "You okay?"

The girl smiled and nodded. She took a step back and straightened her body out. She quickly bowed her head and held it low for awhile. Yurie looked at her with a confused look on her face. The girl shot up straight once more and then gave Yurie a thumbs up. She turned and then started to run away.

"Wait!" Yurie yelled, but to no avail. The girl didn't turn around, and soon enough, she was gone too. "How odd…"

* * *

"So, they just attacked her?" Yui asked. The group had returned to the Pokémon Center together, and Kishi left them alone. They all now sat in their room around a small table.

Yurie nodded. "They looked really shady, so I followed them. But I wasn't expecting that."

Logan put his finger to his lips. "We should keep our eyes out then. Should we tell Kishi?"

Himawari shook his head. "Absolutely not! That dude has secrets, and I don't trust him."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So, I'm basing Cherrydrop Island off of two places. Cherrydrop Island will be based loosely off of Sakurajima in Kagoshima, Japan. It's a beautiful place where my buddy lives, and the ice cream was great. And I'm basing Canal Village off of Canal City in Fukuoka. It's a shopping mall, but it's one of the coolest places I've ever been to. I'd go there every month when I was a student in Japan. So, I'm hoping to put those experiences sort of into this story.

I am also taking inspiration from the fifth Pokémon movie with this one. It's my favorite Pokémon movie, and I want to sort of honor it in some aspects, but there will only be small nods and references to it.


	3. Latios

**Scene 3 - Latios**

* * *

The next day, the group woke up early and went to the opposite side of the island. They weren't joined by Kishi today, so they were allowed to roam to their liking. On the other side of the island, there was a small town that bustled with people and little shops. The group bought multiple souvenirs with Logan purchasing a small orange plushie with a cute face. Because it was incredibly hot on Cherrydrop Island, after the group finished lunch, they all went to a hot spring and enjoyed a bath. They were separated by boys and girls, but both of their hot springs gave them a nice view of the ocean.

"This is nice!" Himawari said as he stood nude outside of the bath. He held out his arms in a 'T' formation and took in a deep breath. "Come join me, Logan! The wind feels great!"

Logan sunk deeper into the bath. "You're embarrassing me." He looked around as other tourists laughed at Himawari.

"It's not embarrassing to be free like this, my dude!"

After the group finished their baths, they found another ice cream shop and ordered more of the orange flavored creamy desert. It was just as delicious as the little cups from before. Yurie and Yui took selfies of them with the ice cream while they made cute faces.

"I'll make sure to send it to mom," Yurie exclaimed.

Yui pointed out a particular picture that she enjoyed. "Send that one. I'm cute here. You're a bit blurry, but that's okay."

They finished their ice cream and found a hiking trail that would take them up the side of the volcano. They remained a safe distance away just incase of an eruption, but from where they stood, they could see the black smoke billowing from the top.

"Isn't it amazing?" a voice called from behind. They turned to find Kishi, enjoying some ice cream of his own. "I love this island so much, and I think Cherrydrop Volcano is the most beautiful volcano in the world."

"What, _this_ volcano?" Himawari said with a snort. "I've seen better."

Kishi laughed. "I know that I'm not your guide for today, but I wanted to know if you'd be curious in seeing the most beautiful part of Cherrydrop?"

"Of course!" Yurie and Yui said together.

"I don't know…" Himawari mumbled. "If your standards of beauty volcano-level, then I may have to pass."

Much to Himawari's dismay, the group followed Kishi. They entered the jungle portion of the island where there were no shops or other tourists around. Eventually, they came to two identical trees that were roughly five feet from one another.

"This is it," he said. "Now, this area is a secret, so please don't tell anyone about it."

"It's two trees," Himawari grumbled. "This guy's insane."

Yurie frowned. "I am a little bit unimpressed…"

Kishi chuckled. He then approached the two trees and walked in between them, disappearing in the process. The group screeched in response. A hand without an arm appeared through the middle of the trees, and it waved them closer. Yurie laughed and then ran to the trees. She reached her hand out, and it disappeared behind an invisible wall.

"Be careful, Yurie!" Himawari yelled.

Yurie giggled and then walked through with Torchic. Soon, Yui followed her. Logan looked at Himawari, shrugged, and then jogged forward alongside his Mightyena. Himawari was left alone.

"Are you serious?!" he screamed. "We're just trusting this guy?"

Four hands appeared through the invisible wall and waved him through. A disgusted look came over his face, and he slowly walked forward, entering into the magical doorway.

On the other side, it was completely different. There was no more jungle, but instead a small pond with a broken down shrine in the middle. Pokémon flew around playfully above the pond, and the air was clear of any smoke from the volcano. It was as though they teleported to a different world.

"What is this place?" Logan asked.

"One hundred years ago, Cherrydrop Volcano erupted. It was something that was completely unexpected, and unfortunately, a lot of people lost their homes, their jobs, and for some, their lives," Kishi explained as he walked forward. He went to the pond and started to pet one of the Pokémon. "This shrine was said to be lost in the eruption, but in fact, something actually protected it. This is what Cherrydrop looked like over a hundred years ago. This area is a reminder of what once was."

Himawari shrugged. "Honestly, we've seen weirder."

Yurie stepped forward and looked at the shrine. Inside was a small figured who poked their head out. Yurie was taken aback as she laid eyes on the girl that she had protected yesterday.

"That's the girl!" Yurie cried out.

Kishi grinned, and the girl exited the shrine. She walked on a small pathway that led to the edge of the pond as she approached the group. She once again bowed in front of Yurie.

"My friend tells me that you helped her yesterday," Kishi said. "We wanted to thank you personally."

Yurie giggled nervously as the girl slowly came back up from her bow. "I was just doing what I thought was right."

"I think you have a kind heart, Yurie, and I'd take a guess that your friends are the same way."

Himawari huffed. "I have the kindest heart of all."

The little girl smiled. She tucked her black hair behind her ear and then closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were glowing light blue.

"What the?!" Yurie cried out. "Is she okay?!"

The girl jumped into the air, and she started to glow. Her body shifted, and energy exploded off of her, revealing a smiling Pokémon the shape of jet in front of them.

"What is that?" Logan wondered.

"Everyone, meet Latias. One of the guardians of the island."

Yurie pulled her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon. Its picture appeared on the screen, and a confused look came over Yurie.

"Wait, this Latias and the one in my Pokédex are different colors. The one in my Pokédex is red," she exclaimed.

Logan examined the Pokémon that floated before them. "And this one is a shade of orange."

Kishi nodded. "Yep. This Latias and her brother are Shiny Pokémon. They're different colors than what they would regularly be, making them some of the rarest Pokémon in the world."

"Wait, brother?" Yui asked.

The energy in the area shifted, and from the trees a figure appeared. It peaked its head out and looked over at the group.

"Latios," Kishi said. "Don't be shy, buddy. They're our friends."

The Pokémon nodded and then floated forward. He glanced at the trainers and smiled, but then he turned his attention to the entrance and squinted his eyes, something the group didn't notice.

Yurie scanned the Latios. "The Latios in the Pokédex is blue, but this one is seafoam green!"

Yui softly pet the Pokémon. "It's so pretty."

"So, how do you know about these Pokémon, pretty boy?" Himawari asked. He put his hands on his hips and glared at Kishi.

"My family has been tasked with protecting Latias and Latios for generations. My sister before me used to protect these two, and now it's my turn," he explained. "They're like my family. They protect the island, and I do what I can to protect them."

"But you brought us to them even though you've only known us for a day," Himawari mumbled under his breath.

"Like I said, Latias wanted to say thank you to Yurie. I couldn't just ask her to come alone or you'd all be suspicious."

Yurie put her hands together. "I think I'm starting to understand now! The people from yesterday wanted to capture Latias!"

Kishi nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to ask about them. Can you tell me what they looked like?"

"You're a terrible guardian," a voice bellowed from behind them before Yurie could answer. From the invisible entrance, two figures walked through.

"They look like that," Yurie said as she stepped in front of Latias. "Rose and Cameron."

The male popped his knuckles. "Cimarron. Remember it."

"Told you that if we continued to watch the little trainer girl that we'd find them," Rose said with a snicker. "Too easy."

"What do you want with Latias?" Kishi asked. He now appeared a lot more aggressive.

Cimarron glared. "You calm you tone with me, boy. We're not only after Latias. We're after both of them."

"To use their powers?" Logan wondered. "I'm sick of people like you."

"We're not going to use their powers," Rose said as she shook her head. "Someone is offering us enough money to buy our own continent if we can bring them those shiny cretins."

"Get ready, Mightyena," Logan said. His Pokémon stepped forward and bared his fangs.

"Torchic," said Yurie softly. Her Pokémon ran to Mightyena's side.

Kishi looked at Latios. "You ready to battle, Latios?" The legendary Pokémon nodded and then lowered his head. Kishi got on top of the Pokémon, and the two floated higher into the air.

"Charizard!"

"Zangoose!"

The two Pokémon exploded from their Poké Balls, and they roared.

"Charizard, take down that Latios! Use Flamethrower!" Cimarron commanded.

"Zangoose, Crush Claw!"

The two shiny Pokémon bounded forward. The black Charizard unleashed flames onto the field while the Zangoose with the blue markings ran towards Logan's and Yurie's Pokémon.

"Latios, fight back with Dragon Breath!"

"Iron Tail, Mightyena!"

"Torchic, use Aerial Ace!"

Latios and Kishi flew into the flames. Latios then opened his mouth and unleashed blue flames towards the black dragon. Meanwhile, Mightyena and Torchic charged back at Zangoose. The three Pokémon collided, but somehow, Zangoose was able to overpower the others, knocking them back.

"Give them Close Combat!" Rose's voice commanded.

Zangoose continued his forward motion and grabbed ahold of Mightyena. He then repeatedly jabbed at the Dark-type, getting in multiple of blows. Torchic tried to jump to get involved, but he was grabbed by the throat and then tossed to the ground. Zangoose then kicked him away.

"Dragon Pulse!" Cimarron yelled.

The black dragon leapt into the air and charged a ball of blue energy in front of his mouth. He then unleashed it downwards, making it explode onto all of Latios and Kishi. The two then crashed into the pond, causing water to explode into the air.

"One more Dragon Pulse!"

Before Charizard could start charging his energy again, the orange Latias appeared before him. She released a ball of mist from her mouth, which blasted Charizard away. She then turned her attention and released another ball, this one formed from blue arcane energy, towards Zangoose. The Normal-type rolled back as he was blasted, but he was soon in battle position.

"Latias!" the Pokémon called out to her brother.

Latios and Kishi slowly appeared from the pond. Latios' eyes were glowing blue, and he appeared a lot more serious.

The two legendary Pokémon floated side by side and their heads started to glow with purple energy.

"Dragon Pulse, Charizard!"

"Crush Claw!"

All four of the Pokémon darted forward, and to most of the trainers' surprise, it was the legendary Pokémon that were knocked back. The hunters' Pokémon did not come out unscathed though, and they collapsed to the ground after taunting.

"Looks like we've won," Rose said as she pushed a button on a remote control that she held. A machine slowly made its way through the invisible gate, and it made a whirring noise as it activated. "They're ours now."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Logan said as he threw a Poké Ball into the air. Swampert appeared and danced around a little bit before getting serious. Himawari released his Luxio next to Swampert, and they prepared to battle.

Cimarron chortled. "You're just going to get them hurt." He and Rose lifted two more Poké Balls and released their Pokémon. One was a giant blue Pokémon with spikes around its body and a thick tail while the other appeared to be a big orange and green flower. Its stench filled the area immediately.

"They look strong," Yui muttered.

"Kolink, use Thunderbolt!" Himawari ordered.

His Luxio released volts of electricity towards the blue Pokémon, but it seemingly did nothing. The Pokémon smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

"Ground-type," Himawari wondered.

"Nidoking, use Megahorn!" Cimarron yelled.

"Sludge Bomb, Vileplume!" Rose screeched.

The two Pokémon ran forward as they charged up energy.

"Ice Fang!" Himawari called.

"Muddy Water!"

Swampert smashed his massive arms into the ground, creating cracks that water could seep through. He raised his hands into the air, and black and brown water exploded from the ground. Luxio jumped over the water and charged towards Vileplume as his jaws started to glow with an icy energy. He clamped down onto her flower, but she then released a purple goo from the top of her head. Kolink released his attack and then walked back a few feet as he tried to shake off the goo. The water that Swampert had created crashed into Nidoking, but the Pokémon persisted forward. He rammed his horn into Luxio, knocking him into the air, and then he charged towards Swampert.

"Mud Bomb!" Logan yelled.

Swampert scooped mud that he had just created and formed a ball. Using his energy, he was able to make it bigger, and he heaved it at the charging Ground-type.

"Thrash!"

Before the mud could explode, Nidoking closed his eyes. He smacked his arm against the mud, knocking it towards the ground. Then he continued, running his body into Swampert and lifting the Water-type into the air.

"Petal Dance!"

The orange flower spun her body around, creating leaf-like energy in the process. She then flung the energy forward, and it sliced into Swampert. The Water-type let out a cry, and then Nidoking tossed him into the pond.

Logan and Himawari ran to check on their Pokémon. They had lost the fight in only a few turns, and the energy coming from their opponents was more aggressive than usual.

"You okay, Kolink?" Himawari asked. His Pokémon fainted in his arms.

Rose grinned at pushed her button. A cage formed in the front of the machine and it blasted forward, grabbing ahold of Latios and tossing him into the air. Kishi was thrown off of the Dragon-type and landed in the water. With one quick motion, Latios was trapped in the cage. He tried to bash his skull into one of the bars, but it shocked him. He let out a cry.

"And now for Latias!" Rose said with a sinister smile. She pushed the button once more, but the machine did nothing. "What?!" She turned to find Yui standing with her Combusken by the machine. The Pokémon was rapidly kicking the part with the other cage, destroying it from the outside.

"Stop that!" Cimarron demanded.

"No!" Yui yelled back.

"What do we do now?" Cimarron asked as he looked around the field. The four trainers all looked prepared to attack. Latios remained in the cage, but he was suspended above the pond.

"Tactical retreat. We got one of them, and that's worth at least half of what they're offering. That's more than enough for us to retire," Rose said. She pushed another button on her remote, and the cage retracted backwards. The machine started to whir once more, and it backed away slowly.

"No!" Kishi yelled as he walked out of the pond.

All four of the hunters' Pokémon stood in front of the cage and growled at the others. Yui held her Pokémon back while Logan tried to think of a strategy.

"Latios!" the Pokémon cried out while it disappeared to the other side of the gate.

"Latias!" his sister called out.

The four Pokémon all backed up slowly through the gate, and they all soon disappeared.

"C'mon!" Logan said. He pulled a Poké Ball from his belt and then ran with the group to the gate. When they emerged on the other side, they could hear a roar, and they were blasted with wind. The group looked to the sky, noticing a black jet speeding away.

"No…" Kishi groaned. "Latios…" He fell to his knees. "No!"

Latias flew forward and looked to the sky. Tears had started streaming down her face, and she let out a soft cry.

Yurie covered in mouth in disbelief. "I'm so sorry…"

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Two more parts to go! This is kind of a difficult story to write. It could be down to a lack of sleep, but I've been having a bit of trouble with writing it. Hopefully the next two parts will come a bit easier (I'm writing this parenthesis portion after I've finished the story, and I'm here to let you know that Scene 5 was so hard to write).


	4. Latias

**Scene 4 - Latias**

* * *

"I'll call them," Cimarron said as they escaped in their jet.

Rose looked back at Latios and laughed. The Pokémon held his head down low, and he appeared to be exhausted.

Cimarron pushed a few buttons near his control deck, dialing the phone of his client. A man with greying slicked back hair appeared on screen. He wore a plain but nice business suit, but age was not kind to him, and his eyes were sunken in.

"You've caught them?" he asked.

Cimarron nodded. "We've got one of them. There were complications with the other one, but we figured that we can still sell you the one for half the price."

The man on the screen continued to frown. "My client won't accept that. It's both or neither."

"What?"

"They're a set."

"We can't even send you one and receive that payment for the time being?" Rose questioned.

The man slowly shook his head. "Both or neither."

Cimarron glared. "Fine." He pushed a button, ending the call, and then he turned to Rose. "It looks like we're going back."

"This trip kills my neck," Rose said.

Cimarron placed his two Poké Balls into slots in front of his computer. He pushed a button and energy surged through them. "No mistakes this time."

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Himawari asked as the group all returned to the hidden pond of Cherrydrop Island. "They're probably miles away already."

Logan looked back at Latias. She appeared lost, and flew around the area while she cried out for her brother. "They're going to come back for Latias. There's no way that they'd just leave her without actually giving up."

"We need to protect her!" Yui declared.

Logan nodded. "If they come back, then we have a chance at getting Latios from them. But I don't think that we can have that fight here. If we bring them out into the public, at least we can get their faces out to the world."

"Thinking long game," Himawari mumbled.

Kishi violently shook his head. "I can't take Latias out into public! Are you insane?"

"What if she transformed?" Yurie suggested. The group all looked up at the legendary Pokémon.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Cimarron's voice bellowed as he and Rose walked through the invisible gate. They were met with nothing but the debris from their previous battle.

"Gone?" Rose wondered. "Do you think they went after us?"

Cimarron looked around the small paradise. "No. They're still on the island, I'd reckon. They're luring us into a trap."

"What do we do?"

Cimarron thought for a moment and looked towards the invisible gate. "Let's go get trapped."

* * *

Yurie and the now human form of Latias walked slowly down the main road of Canal Village. They pretended to look at shops, but in reality, they were watching out for the hunters.

"So, what kind of human did you turn into, Latias? I imagine that this person is based off of someone," Yurie asked. Latias looked at her with a blank expression on her face. "Can't talk, huh?"

Latias continued her blank stare.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen. We'll be starting the show soon," a voice announced over the intercom.

"Almost time," Yurie said. Latias nodded.

The crowd in the street started to pour into the main square of Canal Village where they could watch the waterworks show. Meanwhile, Yurie and Latias stayed put, standing out in the open of the main road. From the crowd emerged the two hunters in their black jackets. They walked to where Yurie stood, but kept a decent distance.

"We're here for Latias," Rose said. "Hand her over, and we'll have no issues."

"Give us back Latios, and we'll have no issues," Yurie snapped back. Latias glared at the two hunters.

"Fine," Cimarron said while pulling out his Poké Ball. "Then we'll take her by force." The hunters released Charizard and Vileplume from their Poké Balls, and the Pokémon glared at Yurie.

Yurie looked down at Torchic, who then ran out onto the battlefield and confidently puffed out his chest.

"That little thing isn't going to do much," Rose said. "Weakling."

"She's not alone!" Yui's voice called. She appeared from one of the side alleyways holding a Poké Ball in her hand.

Himawari then came from the shadows of the alleyway on the opposite side. He grinned and lifted his Poké Ball. Logan revealed himself to be behind the hunters. Kishi stood at his side, but unfortunately, he didn't have any Pokémon on him.

"Oh, what will we do?" Cimarron asked sarcastically.

"You think you have us cornered, but we're more than strong enough to take you all out. It doesn't matter how you come at us," Rose said.

"We just have to stall for time," Kishi whispered to Logan.

"Go, Vigoroth!" Logan yelled while tossing his Poké Ball into the air. His white Pokémon appeared on the road and then howled. She glared at the two hunters and their Pokémon, itching to battle.

"Combusken!"

"Koiru, go!" Himawari called. His Magneton emerged from the Poké Ball.

"Surrounded by a bunch of weaklings might as well be the same as being surrounded by a bunch of ants," Rose said harshly. "I can't wait to finish this job."

The four trainers all stood still, waiting for the hunters to make their call, but everyone remained silent. They all gazed at one another, and a confused look came over Cimarron's face.

"They're not attacking," he mumbled. The sounds of the waterworks show could be heard in the distance. "They're stalling."

"Then we'll attack. Vileplume, use Petal Dance!"

"Get Latias by all means! Dragon Pulse!"

The two Pokémon ran towards Yurie and Latias as they started their attacks, but the trainers were quick.

"Tri-Attack!"

"Flamethrower!"

Magneton unleashed a blast of energy that was filled with three different colors while Combusken released a stream of flames from her mouth. The attacks connected with the shiny Pokémon, but they continued forward with no issue. Charizard leapt into the air, but he suddenly stopped moving. He looked down, noticing that Mightyena had emerged from the ground. His jaws were electrified and clamped down onto the black dragon.

"Flame Burst!" Yurie called.

Torchic jumped in front of Vileplume and used his attack. A small burst of flames released from his mouth and then exploded into a wave. The wave washed over Vileplume, forcing her to stop.

"Get rid of that mutt!" Cimarron yelled.

Charizard flew into the air. He flipped his body around, tossing Mightyena towards the ground. He smiled as though he had won, but then he felt a sudden piercing pain in his back. He turned to find Vigoroth, jabbing her claws into his spine. The dragon roared and tried to shake the Normal-type off.

"We've got Charizard handled," Logan said. A sudden burst of white light surprised him, and the blue Nidoking stood before him. He roared and then charged directly towards Logan. Nidoking reached out and grabbed Logan and Kishi, and with one easy motion, tossed both of them into the canals.

"You okay, Logan?" Kishi called out as Logan struggled to keep his head above the water.

"I-can't-swim!" Logan yelled as he reached for his Poké Ball. He released Swampert, who was weak from the previous battle, but the Water-type was able to get them both to land. Logan coughed and then collapsed to the ground as Kishi went to check on him.

"Flamethrower!" Yurie and Yui yelled in unison.

Their Pokémon jumped forward and released the flames onto the street, engulfing Vileplume. When the flames died down, Vileplume's body collapsed, and her flower flattened like a pancake.

"Brutal," Rose said as she returned her Pokémon.

Charizard then came crashing to the ground. He roared and tossed Vigoroth off of him. Without needing any orders, both of Logan's Pokémon lunged forward. They tackled into the Fire-type, and he fell back and collapsed in front of his trainer. Everyone could hear the grand finale of the waterworks show and the crowd loudly clap and cheer.

"We need to be fast," Cimarron said. His Nidoking stepped in front of him and lowered his head, preparing to attack.

Latias stepped closer to Yurie and clung to her arm out of fear.

"Get ready, Torchic!" Yurie instructed. Her Pokémon puffed out his chest and glared at the Nidoking.

"Now!" Rose screamed.

Suddenly, Latias and Yurie's body were hoisted into the air. Everyone turned their attention to find the Zangoose with the blue markings holding onto them. The Normal-type was quick and tossed both of them back, forcing them into a big cage. Latias transformed back into her regular form, and she tried to escape, but the cage quickly closed, and shocked them both. Yurie collapsed unconscious, and Latias floated checked on her.

"No!" Yui screamed, but it was too late.

The cage was lifted into the air by a magnetic force, and the jet from before appeared above the road. The cage with Yurie and Latias disappeared into the inside of the jet. The hunters then ran past all of the trainers and jumped into the air. They shot off two grappling hooks, which connected with the jet and then hoisted them upwards. Rose blew a kiss and they were carried off.

"Yurie!" Yui screeched. She ran forward, but it was no use. Within moments, the jet, the hunters, and Yurie were gone. Yui fell to her knees and punched the ground while the others looked into the sky.

"What-what happened?" Logan asked in disbelief.

"Yurie…" Yui muttered with tears rolling down her cheeks.

* * *

"You really thought it was a good idea to bring the girl with us?!" Cimarron screamed. "We were criminals before, but now that we've stolen a cute girl, the entire region will be searching for us!"

"Calm down," Rose said as she applied her red lipstick. "We'll dump the girl in the Orre desert, and no one will find her. The Mandibuzz will have at her first."

Cimarron shook his head. "You're disgusting."

"Well, this is our last job together, Cimarron. You won't have to deal with me anymore."

* * *

Yurie's eyes slowly cracked open, and as soon as she saw a little bit of light, she jolted awake. She sat up and took a look at her surroundings. It was dark, and there were machines all around her. She sat in her cage alongside Latias who continuously stared out at her brother who laid unconscious in his own cage. Latias called out softly for her brother.

"Don't worry," Yurie said softly. "We'll save him. I promise."

There was a sudden shift, and the humming noise of the jet stopped. The jet jolted, and the sounds of machines could be heard from the outside. The hatch to the jet opened up, and a giant floating claw reached through, grabbing Latios' cage and pulling it out. Soon, the claw returned, grabbed onto Latias' cage and lifted them both out of the jet. It placed the cage next to Latios', and Yurie looked around.

"A warehouse," Yurie said quietly as she saw multiple other Pokémon in cages. Most of them looked sickly or hungry.

Suddenly, the lights directly above Yurie flashed on, illuminating every corner of the warehouse. Yurie looked down, noticing Rose and Cimarron entering from below. Rose shook one of the cages, taunting the Pokémon within.

Yurie walked to the back of her cage and pulled out her Poké Balls. She released Masquerain and Shuppet. "Hide!" She then grabbed her PokéNav from her bag and quickly typed a message out.

The Pokémon nodded and then floated away as the crane from before once again lifted Latias and Yurie's cage. It brought them down to ground level, and Yurie came face to face with her captors. Without a word, Cimarron opened the cage and held out his hand.

"Give me your items now. We'll keep your Pokémon safe," he said.

"I don't believe you," she snapped.

"Doesn't matter," Rose replied with a sadistic grin.

Cimarron used his massive arms and lifted Yurie into the air. He ripped her bag from her shoulder and then tossed it to Rose. Without warning, he dropped Yurie and then slammed the door shut.

"I wanted to just leave you in the desert to rot, but Cimarron convinced me to reconsider," Rose said.

"I guess I should be thankful?" Yurie asked as she massaged her legs.

Cimarron didn't answer. He pushed a button on his remote, and the crane returned. It lifted them into the air and returned them to where they were before.

"What am I going to do?" Yurie muttered to herself as she looked down. Cimarron and Rose turned off the lights and disappeared.


	5. The Buyer

**Scene 5 - The Buyer**

* * *

"What do we do?" Himawari asked. "We have no idea where they went."

"They took my sister," Yui said calmly. She clenched her fist. "I'll look over every inch of this entire planet until I find them. I'll make them pay for what they've done!" Suddenly, a chime came from Yui's bag. She quickly fumbled around and pulled her PokéNav out. "It's from Yurie!"

"What does it say?" Logan asked.

"She says not to worry. She has a plan," Yui explained. "That makes me worry even more."

* * *

"You gonna call him?" Rose asked as she worked on filing one of her nails. "He freaks me out, so I don't want to be the one who talks to him."

"I'll call him," he said. Cimarron tossed Yurie's bag at the ground, making her Poké Balls slowly roll out from the top. Cimarron walked lazily to his computer and then pushed a few buttons. Within moments, the face of the well-dressed man appeared on the screen.

"I'm hoping this is good news," the man said.

Cimarron nodded. "It was bothersome, and we almost got put in a position where our faces would have been plastered everywhere had we been caught, but we did it. We got your precious Latias."

"That is good news. We'll be at your location within a few hours to pick them up."

"Don't forget our money!" Cimarron snapped. "We oughta charge you more because we had to go back. Wasted our gas."

The man was silent.

Rose snickered. "He's only kidding. Four million is just fine. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Three million," the man said sharply before ending the call.

"Cimarron, are you crazy?" Rose asked as she stamped her feet. "You trying to make us lose this deal?"

"I was trying to sweeten it."

"It isn't sweet enough, you moron?!"

* * *

Yurie sat in the cage next to Latias. She was unsure of what to do next, but she looked around for cameras, incase she was being watched. When she felt it was safe, she waved for Shuppet and Masquerain to come to her.

"Okay, so their Pokémon are really strong. I think that we won't stand a chance battling them head on," Yurie said. Her Pokémon nodded. "We have to be smart. I think I have a plan."

Yurie shared her plan with the two Pokémon, and once she made sure that they thoroughly understood, they both flew away. She stuck her head out of the cage and looked down at all of the other Pokémon that were captured. "Don't worry. I'll get you all out."

* * *

"What are you gonna do with your half?" Cimarron asked. He cleaned the dirt from under his nails with a toothpick. "I think I'm gonna move to Galar. I'm into the stadium fights that they put on. Think I can find a lady with one of those cute accents."

"Maybe I'll buy an island near Kanto. I'll spend the rest of my life relaxing in the life of luxury with some surfer moron."

Cimarron laughed, but before he could respond, there was a loud banging noise on the door to their warehouse. He groaned as he stood up and walked towards it. "What now?"

"Maybe the Pokémon are hungry."

Cimarron pushed the button, opening the door slowly, and the two peeked inside of the dimly lit warehouse. Slowly, above their heads, Masquerain snuck through. She raced towards Yurie's bag and found the Poké Balls.

The buff teenager huffed as he started to close the gate once more, and then he turned around, instantly noticing Masquerain. "What the?"

"That's not a shiny Masquerain, right?" Rose wondered.

Masquerain lifted up Yurie's Luxury Ball with her mouth and then slowly floated into the air.

"I don't think so. Just a normal Masquerain," Cimarron answered. "I hate pests. Put that Poké Ball down!"

Masquerain nodded and then grinned before dropping the black and gold Poké Ball. Once it collided with the ground, it exploded open, and Aggron appeared before the thugs' eyes. They looked terrified as Aggron cracked his neck. He looked around confused.

"An-an-an Aggron!" Cimarron stuttered.

"What should we do?" Rose wondered.

"No... sudden... movements."

Aggron sniffed the air, and something caught his attention. He turned to the metal door and walked towards it. Cimarron and Rose slowly stepped out of the way, and they looked back at their own Poké Balls. Aggron pushed up against the door and then, without any warning, took a giant bite out of it.

"What are you doing?!" Rose screamed.

"Shut up!" Cimarron snapped.

Aggron turned to them and glared, but he quickly returned to his meal until an Aggron-sized hole was made in the door. Masquerain flew through the hole, and Aggron then entered into the main part of the warehouse. This was the hunters' chance, and they dove for their Poké Balls.

"Charizard, go!"

"Attack, Vileplume!"

The two Pokémon exploded from their Poké Balls and immediately used their attacks on Aggron, sending him falling forward on his face. He quickly got up in a confused rage, smashing his large body into a few of the cages, shaking the left side of the warehouse.

"We can't battle here!" Rose screamed.

"But we can't let him eat our warehouse!"

Aggron glared at the two Pokémon, but they weren't intimidated.

On the top of the cage, Yurie looked down and watched. "Alright, that's step one. Do your stuff, Aggron." She looked over to the other side and nodded at her little Shuppet.

The Ghost-type started to float around, using her body to unlock some of the upper cages that Pokémon were trapped in. The malnourished Pokémon appeared relieved at the prospect of freedom, but many were too weak to move. Shuppet continued though, continuously unlocking cages as Aggron battled with Charizard and Vileplume.

"Petal Dance!" Rose screamed.

As Vileplume started to charge up her attack, Aggron ran forward. He lifted the giant Grass-type into the air and tossed her to the side, making her crash into one of the cages. Suddenly, Charizard appeared from behind, flames exploding from his mouth. But before he could douse Aggron with them, a flurry of bubbles collided with his body, sending him reeling backwards. Masquerain appeared and landed daintily on Aggron's head. Aggron grunted but was ultimately okay with it.

Cimarron looked around, taking note of the damage done to some of the cages. The Pokémon were too frightened to leave though, and they looked out at the shiny hunters in fear.

"We have to get this Pokémon out of here, or he'll destroy all of our work," Cimarron said.

Rose laughed. "What does it matter? We're getting a big payday tomorrow."

"If we can't get this under control, then they're bound to escape too!"

Finally, Shuppet slowly made her way over to Yurie's cage. She touched the lock with her ghostly body, but a small shock sent her reeling. She shook her head and then sighed.

"I guess we're in some kind of specially reinforced cage…" Yurie muttered. The building shook once again as Aggron smashed into the lower area. "C'mon, Aggron. You can do this."

With one big heave, Aggron tossed both Charizard and Vileplume back. They fell unconscious as they slumped to the ground. He roared and then slashed his arms around, ripping the front off of a few of the cages. The Pokémon looked out and then slowly exited the cages. As soon as they saw their opening, they darted for the door.

Cimarron and Rose began to panic as dozens of Pokémon charged towards them. Being an underground warehouse, the Pokémon didn't have anywhere to go, so it was a confusing mess of characters darting about and trampling over one another.

Aggron looked upwards and caught Yurie's stare. He huffed as he reached upwards, grabbing ahold of one of the cages from above. He lifted himself up, ripping the front off of the cage. He continued this climb, freeing more and more Pokémon with every step of the way. Within moments, he was at the top. He slowly approached the cage, growling angrily at Yurie.

_He does not look happy._ Yurie thought.

He reached out and grabbed ahold of the cage. It shocked him with electric energy, and he roared but didn't let go. With one disgusting growl, he ripped the front of the cage off, shutting the electricity down. He stopped his rampage and just looked at Yurie before huffing and then turning around.

"Think you can help him too?" she asked, motioning towards Latios' cage.

Aggron didn't respond but rather walked to the cage and repeated his motions from before, tearing the front of the cage off. When he had finished, the electricity had done its damage, and he fell to one knee.

"Once I get your ball back, I'll make sure that you get all the rest you need," she said. She ran to the edge of the cages and looked down. Rose and Cimarron were nowhere to be found in the mess of scrambling Pokémon.

The entire warehouse started to rumble, and the ceiling above Yurie's head opened up, revealing the harsh sunlight of Orre's desert. All of the cages were lifted together until the entirety of the warehouse was now outside, and the Pokémon that had been freed started to run away and escape into the desert.

Yurie looked down, and then her body was suddenly lifted into the air. The giant claw from before had picked her up and was now dangling her small body above the ground.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

"Watch what you say," Cimarron's voice boomed. His clothes were tattered, and he appeared angry as he spoke into a device that projected his voice.

"She's so small. Not even enough to feed one Mandibuzz," Rose joked.

More giant claws appeared, and they began tossing empty cages to the side. Two of them lifted Latios and Latias' cages into the air and carried them to the ground. The two Pokémon were still too weakened from the electric shocks, and they could barely move.

"All that we have to do is keep these two from leaving," Rose said. "I don't care if the rest roam the desert for the rest of their lives."

Latias looked up at Yurie's dangling body, and she winced with pain.

"And the girl?" Cimarron asked.

"She asked to be let go."

Cimarron grinned and then moved a lever. Slowly, the claws started to widen, loosening their grip on Yurie's body. She fell from the air straight towards the mess of mangled cages. She screamed as her body plummeted towards the ground. Masquerian and Shuppet darted towards her and grabbed her by the legs, but they were not enough, and she continued her rapid descent, now pulling her Pokémon along.

Latias cried out, and her eyes started to glow a light blue before she exploded from the cage. She quickly shot into the air, catching Yurie on her back. Yurie slowly opened her eyes as her Pokémon floated to her shoulders. The three of them all took a sigh of relief.

"Latias escaped!" Cimarron yelled.

"I can see that!" Rose snapped. She threw her Poké Ball into the air. "Get her back, Zangoose!"

"Go, Nidoking!"

The two Pokémon exploded from their Poké Balls, and Zangoose shot into the air. Nidoking attempted to move forward, but something pulled on his tail. He turned to find Aggron. The two Pokémon stared each other down and growled.

"Dodge!" Yurie called.

Latias quickly moved out of the way, making Zangoose's attack whiff and completely miss.

"Bubblebeam and Shadow Ball!"

Both of Yurie's Pokémon floated forward, and they unleashed their attacks. The ball of ghostly energy phased through Zangoose, making him panic, but then the multiple bubbles barraged against him. He shot towards the ground and crashed next to Nidoking.

The two hunters walked over to Latios' cage, and Cimarron pushed a button. One of the magnetic claws appeared, carrying another cage. The cage clamped down around Latios' broken confinement and shocked him once again. He howled with pain as Cimarron laughed maniacally.

"We have to get Latios out of that cage," Yurie said. "Let's do our best, Latias!"

Cimarron looked up. "I'm with ya, Rose. We need to put down that girl. I don't care what it takes."

Aggron charged towards Nidoking, but the giant blue Pokémon ducked. He lifted Aggron into the air and easily tossed him to the side. Aggron crashed into the scraps of steel that he had created and disappeared. Nidoking then turned his attention. Both of the shiny Pokémon glared at Latias.

"Attack!" the two ordered.

"Bubblebeam! Shadow Ball!"

As Zangoose and Nidoking bounded forward, Masquerain and Shuppet used their attacks once again. They collided with the shiny Pokémon, but exploded into smoke. The two strong Pokémon continued their forward motion, and they jumped into the air, prepared to strike.

"Latias!" the Pokémon cried before releasing a ball of grey energy from her mouth. The ball exploded in front of Nidoking and Zangoose, creating mist to fill the air. The two Pokémon stopped their attacks and looked around for any sign of Latias.

"Keep your guard up!" Cimarron commanded.

It was then that Latias flew forward, arcane energy forming in her mouth. She unleashed it downwards, and the blue fire washed over the two Pokémon.

"What's happening?!" Rose screamed.

Then, from the mist, Masquerain and Shuppet emerged. They tackled into the shiny hunters, sending them rolling backwards. Yurie ran to the cage and grabbed ahold of one of the bars. It shocked her, and she let out a scream. She fell to her knees and then looked up at Latios. He was barely conscious and breathing heavily.

"Get the girl!" Cimarron yelled.

Nidoking roared as he charged towards Yurie. He held out his arms, but Latias was quick. She created psychic energy around her head before flying forward, headbutting Nidoking in the stomach. He rolled backwards, and then Zangoose jumped over him. He swiped downwards, slashing Latias in the face. She cried out before releasing one more ball of mist. The ball hit Zangoose and then exploded, creating an even deeper fog.

Yurie turned and grabbed at the cage once more. It shocked her, but she fought through the pain. She tried to bend the bars, but her small arms weren't strong enough to get the job done.

"Fine!" she yelled. "Minun, go!"

Minun, who had been released by Shuppet during all of the commotion, appeared in front of her. She lifted her tiny blue arms and then released electricity into the cage. The cage started to explode with smoke as the electric energy tried to shock Minun back. But the Electric-type was stubborn, and soon, the cage began to let out a soft hum. Minun stopped her attack and then Yurie reached forward. She touched the cage, but there was no shock this time around.

"Yes!"

Suddenly, Yurie was lifted into the air. She screamed as she looked down to see the blue Nidoking hoisting her upwards.

"Finish her!" Cimarron yelled.

Before Nidoking could toss her downwards, Aggron emerged from the heap of steel. He rammed his body into Nidoking, forcing him to drop her. The two Pokémon clashed a little bit before Aggron lifted the Poison-type into the air. With one giant heave, he tossed the Pokémon backwards. Nidoking landed to the side and instantly fainted.

"Nidoking!" Cimarron yelled. He growled before he took a step towards Yurie, but Aggron got in between them. He glared at Cimarron, making the muscle bound teenager stopped.

Masquerain, Shuppet, and Minun all grabbed ahold of the cage that kept Latios trapped, and they heaved, pulling the front door off of its hinges. Yurie ran into the cage, and with the help of her three Pokémon, pulled Latios to the outside. His body was heavy and limp though, and he showed little to no signs of consciousness.

"Put him down!" Rose yelled. She looked at Aggron before taking a step behind Cimarron.

Yurie ignored the two hunters, and she knelt down to be with Latios.

"You okay?" she asked.

He silently cooed.

Latias let out a cry as she floated towards her brother. She looked at him with a worried look on her face. Latios cracked open one eye and smiled at his sister.

"You've hurt them," Yurie muttered. She stood up and glared at the two hunters. "How could you do this?!"

Cimarron glared. "We're just doing our job, kid."

Latias started to hum, and her body began to glow with a pale light. She touched Latios lightly, and the light began to transfer over to him. Soon, both Pokémon were enveloped in the energy, and Latios' eyes started to glow brightly. When the light faded away, Latios was able to get back up, and he met Latias in the air. The two rubbed their necks together and cried out happily.

"Healing Wish…" Rose noted. She looked around at the destruction. "Cimarron, we're finished."

Latios glared at the two hunters, and arcane energy started to form at his mouth. He howled, and they both took a step back and cowered.

"Latios, don't bother," Yurie said. "We should focus on getting back home."

Latios stopped his attack, and the fire faded away. He turned away from the hunters and floated down towards Yurie.

"You're hundreds of miles away from Hoenn, kid. And even if you did find your way back home, we'd come for them again," Cimarron said.

Rose pointed back towards the jet. "Don't think that we won't!"

Latios and Latias looked at one another and cooed. They nodded and then darted towards the jet. They both unleashed the arcane fire from the mouth, destroying the jet on contact. The two hunters looked at one another in disbelief.

Latias then returned to Yurie and lowered her head.

"Is it okay?" she asked. Latias nodded, and then Yurie got on top. Shuppet and Masqueriain floated to Yurie with her belongings. She put back on her backpack before returning her four Pokémon. Latias slowly floated into the air, and Yurie held on tightly.

"She's getting away…" Rose muttered.

"We can't do anything about it…"

"Do you know where you're going?" she asked. Latios flew forward and nodded. "I'll leave it to you, I guess."

Yurie looked down once more at the shiny hunters. They were covered in ash and dirt from the battle and were glaring up at Yurie. She gave them a small wave before Latios and Latias dashed off.

Rose stamped her feet. "Cimarron! What happened?"

Cimarron looked around. "Bit off more than we could chew."

* * *

Hours had passed since Yurie had been captured with Latias. The group had moved to the Pokémon Center, and they were debating their next move. Both Yui and Kishi were distraught. They both sat at one of the Pokémon Center dining tables, looking out the window.

"I know what it's like to lose a sister," Kishi said. His voice cracked.

Yui looked up. "I'm sorry. But, I haven't lost Yurie just yet."

Himawari came to the table and sighed. "We called the police. They should be here any moment now. Unfortunately, they said that they won't be able to do much."

"Did you tell them about Latias and Latios?"

Logan shook his head. "No. We figured that if anyone should tell them about the legendary Pokémon, it should be you. We just told them about Yurie." He held Yurie's Torchic in his arms, and he softly pet the Fire-type's head.

Kishi put his head on the table. "I can't believe I failed them…"

* * *

"This is incredible!" Yurie called out. She looked down at the vast ocean. "Do you two do this often?"

Latias nodded and then let out a happy cry.

"I think I can see Littleroot Town from here!" she exclaimed. She pointed down at what she believed to be her house. The lights of Hoenn looked like stars across the land. "I wonder what mom is doing right now…"

The two Pokémon glanced at one another once more, and then they tucked their heads, picking up speed.

"I hope everyone's not too worried…"

* * *

The group of four glanced out the window as the lights from the police vehicles reflected off of it. Blue and red flashed, and it started to get closer and closer. The group all looked at one another before standing up and then walking outside. A woman with blue hair parked her motorbike before getting off and then removing her helmet.

"Officer Jenny," she said. "Are you the ones who made the call about the kidnapping?"

The group exchanged looks, and Officer Jenny pulled out a notepad. "Mind if we get a detailed description of what happened."

Kishi stepped forward. "Officer, I'll tell you, but I need your promise that this won't go public. I've been sworn to protect something, and I can't have certain information get out."

Jenny looked at him curiously. "We may need to release it to the public if we want the kidnappers found."

Kishi glanced at Yui and sighed. "Alright…"

Before he could say anymore, the sound of a jet exploded through the air, and everyone looked up. Two figures zoomed through the sky, mist following in their path, and everyone appeared to be in disbelief. The two figures turned and then began their descent. Within seconds, the teal Latios and the orange Latias were in front of the Pokémon Center to everyone's amazement. Yurie, her hair in a mess and tears in her eyes, looked at the group with a smile on her face.

"Yurie!" Yui screamed. She ran to the two Dragon-type Pokémon and grabbed ahold of her sister. The two embraced and collapsed to the ground as they started to cry.

Jenny looked around in confusion. "Is… is this the girl?"

Kishi nodded. "Yeah!"

The officer stepped forward and put her hand on Kishi's shoulder. "And are these Pokémon the thing that you're trying to protect?"

Kishi locked eyes with her. "Yes. Please, officer."

Jenny nodded. "I understand." She looked around. "Maybe this reunion shouldn't be in such a public place though."

Logan and Himawari ran to Yurie, and the three hugged. Logan held onto both of them tightly as he kept tears back.

"I was so afraid…" he muttered.

"Me too!" Himawari yelled as tears burst from his eyes. "Don't ever leave us again!"

Yurie smiled and then winced as she felt something jabbing at her shins. She looked down and noticed her Torchic. With one quick motion, she picked up her Pokémon and then tossed him into the air. The two celebrated with tears in their eyes.

* * *

"Everything," Rose mumbled as she walked through the rubble that Yurie left. "Everything was destroyed."

"Not a single Pokémon remains," Cimarron said. "They're all out roaming the desert. She really did us in."

"What are we going to do when our buyer shows up?" Rose asked. "We have nothing!"

Cimarron folded his arms. "We won't do anything. What are we supposed to do?"

It was then that the wind started to pick up, and the dirt from the desert began to blow. The two looked into the air, noticing a large aircraft with a red 'R' painted on the side. It landed about thirty yards away from the rubble, and the hatch at the bottom opened up slowly. The man with the nice suit appeared, and he slowly walked to the duo, a deadpan on expression on his face.

"You two are filthy," he commented.

The two didn't respond.

He looked around and slyly sneered. "I take it this was the doing of Latias and Latios?"

The two glanced at one another. They didn't want to admit to the buyer that they were bested by a ten year old.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

So, this one is finished. I'll be honest, I didn't like writing this one as much as the first one. I liked tackling the idea of "shiny hunting" and I loved writing an island based off of Sakurajima. But the last chapter is kind of where I became disinterested in the story in all honesty. But, I guess that's four out of five chapters I enjoyed writing, so that's a win. I'll come back to this in a few months and edit it to make it tighter. (Upon rereading it, I guess that maybe I'm being too harsh on myself)

Since I've already finished the rest of Healing in Hoenn, I've started working on the third "movie" story. It's a bit different from the other two. There won't be a lot of, if any, conflict in it. I kind of just want to write a small one-off.


End file.
